


Truth, you tell me how you feel (dare, you prove it)

by theladyofcamelias



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cheating, Dirty Dancing, Drinking, F/M, Mentions of incest, Modern AU, Truth or Dare, asoiafrare, asoiafrareprompt, off-page sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 21:22:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19980703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladyofcamelias/pseuds/theladyofcamelias
Summary: Bitter because of Robert’s cheating, Cersei decides to lure his best friend, Ned Stark into a game of truth or dare to try and get him to spill Robert’s secrets. It doesn’t quite end up like she thought it would.This work was created for the asoiafrarepair prompt event and was based around the following prompt: Ned x Cersei - Truth or dare.The title is from an anonymous internet quote.





	Truth, you tell me how you feel (dare, you prove it)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the following prompt: Truth or dare.

The party was in full swing, yet Cersei Lannister was sitting alone at the bar, nursing a cup of wine and trying desperately not to fling herself at Robert and tear his face off. He was dancing - no dancing was not the appropriate word - he was grinding, yes much more accurate, with a young, unsuspecting girl who would probably be mortified to learn that she was dry humping another woman’s boyfriend in front of her. And if she was not, well...

Cersei hadn’t even liked Robert, but Father was trying to sign a deal with his company, and so he had Cersei date him so he would approve the project. Robert might not take part in the day to day running of his company, which he had left to an old family friend named Cressen, but his approval was necessary for any big projects to go through. And so Cersei was stuck batting her eyelashes and shoving her tits in Robert’s face when she could have been in there discussing contracts and business transactions. She had a law degree for fuck’s sake! And she was damn good too! But no, all her father used her for was to be pretty and charm men into signing contracts that would allow him to expand his empire. He had tried to pawn her off to Rhaegar when he was trying to do business with the Targaryens, then he forced her to date Oberyn Martell so he could sign a deal with his mother, and now Robert. 

She scanned the crowd methodically because if she was going to sit here at the bar while Robert was sticking his tongue down another woman’s throat, she was damn well going to enjoy herself. Jaime was nowhere in sight, and she would rather die than speak to his weird friend Brienne. Catelyn Tully was there, but talking to Catelyn Tully with her perfect hair and her perfect boyfriend and her perfect engagement ring would just drive her mad. It was only after a few minutes of careful looking that she spotted him, sulking alone in a corner. Ned Stark. Robert’s best friend. 

She grinned. Perfect.

She waited until his eyes were on her before nonchalantly looking his way, smirking and beckoning him closer with her perfectly manicured hand. He made his way towards her, carefully avoiding the dance floor until he made his way to her.

“Cersei.” He greeted.  
“Ned.” She gestured with her hand to an empty seat next to her, “Why don’t you join me for a drink, hm? I could use some company.” She let her eyes drift back to Robert who was now dry humping an entirely different woman. Ned saw where her gaze was lingering and winced. He ran his hands through his hair before gingerly sitting down next to her.  
“What’ll you have?”  
“Whiskey.”  
She gestured to the bartender to take his order, not even bother to look up from the spectacle that was Robert’s failed attempt at dirty dancing.   
“Cersei I’m...” he started to say. She put a single finger to his lips, shutting him up before turning around to look at him.  
“I didn’t bring you all the way to apologize for Robert. It would be as pointless for you as for me.”  
“Then why did you ask me to sit with you?”   
She shrugged. There was no good answer. I was lonely seemed pathetic. I wanted to make Robert jealous would sound petty. I didn’t want to drink alone made her look like a mess.  
“Why not you?” She answered instead. “You’re a very interesting person, aren’t you Ned?” She let her finger trail across his cheek, smiling sweetly at him. He gulped, his cheeks flaming red as he took another sip of his drink.

“This is a nice party.” Ned finally said.  
Cersei nodded noncommittally.  
“It is. Do you know what’d make it better?”   
He shook his head, she leaned forward, putting her hand on his arm, showcasing the low dip of her dress. His cheeks turned crimson. This was almost too easy.  
“A game.”  
He raised his eyebrows at her.  
“Aren’t we too old for games?”   
“I’m not proposing we play tag Ned.” She rolled her eyes. “I was thinking about something along the lines of ‘truth or dare’.”  
“Truth or dare,” he repeated, smiling, “I haven’t played this game since I was in college.”  
He was charming when he smiled, Cersei noted, almost as handsome as his older brother, or his best friend. She forced herself not to dwell on that thought.  
“I think it would be fun. We could learn more about each other. I haven’t seen much of you ever since I started dating Robert. Wouldn’t you like to know me better?” She asked innocently, her finger stroking his hand. He blushed and pulled his hand away.

“Well?” Her finger was now tracing the rim of her glass in a slow, hypnotizing motion.   
Ned glanced quickly at Robert and found him dragging another woman to the bathroom, the two of them giggling.  
“All right.” He answered.  
“Excellent.” She smiled wide, showing her canines. “I’ll even go first.”  
“Very well. Truth or dare?”  
Cersei contemplated it for a second before deciding.  
“Truth.” She downed the rest of her drink and gestured for the bartender to refill her glass.  
He frowned, put his elbows on the table and leaned closer.  
“Why are you still dating Robert?”

She stilled for a moment, her hand curling into a fist. He wasn’t playing around was he? She’d pulled herself into a corner. And here she was, thinking this was a good opportunity to learn some of Robert’s secrets from his gullible friend. Apparently he was smarter than she’d thought.

“What do you mean?” She asked instead, smiling what she hoped was a calm smile.  
“Robert’s my friend and I love him, but I’m not an idiot. I know what he is. He doesn’t...That is to say he’s not... He doesn’t treat you well. And he’s not a good boyfriend. So why are you still with him?”  
“Why, because I love him of course.” She grinned sarcastically.   
The bartender put her drink down in front of her, about time too, and she grasped it delicately, letting the wine hit the back of her throat.  
Ned snorted.  
“I thought the game was only supposed to work if we told the truth?”  
She must have been more drunk than she thought she was because she found herself doing just that.  
“My father asked me to. He’s trying to sign a deal with Robert’s company, and he thought me dating Robert would give him an advantage in negotiations.”  
The expression on Ned’s face was half horrified half offended, and she couldn’t help but smirk.  
“But...I mean... You’re taking advantage of Robert!” She rolled her eyes.   
“Ah yes, poor Robert. He must be heartbroken by now.”  
At this exact moment, Robert chose to come out of the bathroom, his hair messed up, with a hickey on his neck. 

She took pity on Ned for some reason, who had spotted Robert coming out of the bathroom and looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon.  
“If it makes you feel better we’re both getting something out of it. I get to give my father an advantage with his business negotiations, and he gets to have a pretty and influential woman on his arm and in his bed. So really, a perfect match wouldn’t you say?” She took another sip of wine and watched him down the rest of his whiskey in one gulp before gesturing to the bartender to pour him another.  
“It’s not right.” He muttered. “Your father shouldn’t be making you do this.”  
She had thought he would say that she was leading his friend on or that she was a lying whore. She took another sip of wine before shrugging and putting the glass down.

“I believe it’s my turn now. Truth or dare Ned?”  
“Truth.” He answered automatically.  
Cersei leaned back in her chair. This would be fun.  
“Does your brother know you’re in love with his fiancée?”

He choked on his drink, his eyes bulging, and she laughed, patting him on the back.  
“I...I don’t...”  
“I thought the game was only supposed to work if we told the truth?” She mocked him.  
He sighed, run his hand trough his hair and looked back at her.  
“Is it that obvious?”   
“You follow her around like a lost puppy. And you keep making cow eyes at her. It’s disgusting.”  
Ned sighed.  
“No,” he answered, “Brandon doesn’t know I like Cat. Or at least I hope he doesn’t. Cat doesn’t know either. She’s...she’s not the sort of woman who pays attention to these things.”  
Ah yes, Cersei thought sourly. Perfect Catelyn Tully who never looked at another man, found an excellent match and was everything a high society lady should be: docile, meek, polite and well-mannered. It made Cersei sick.  
“Of course.” Cersei agrees instead.   
“But I don’t...I mean...I don’t love Catelyn. At least not anymore.”  
“Oh? You’ve found someone new?”  
He blushed and looked away.  
“I believe it’s my turn to ask a question.” He replied instead.  
Classic evasion tactic. She could respect that.  
“Alright then.” She leaned forward, her fingers brushing his.

“Truth or dare?” He asked.  
“Truth.” She said again.  
“Alright.” He pauses for a moment, looking to the countertop as though it would tell him what question to ask. “What would be your dream job? If you could have any job in the world what would it be.”  
She didn’t even have to think about that one.  
“I’d be head of my father’s company.”  
He smiled.  
“You could still be. Who knows?”  
She snorted.  
“Father will never leave the company to me. Not as long as Jaime and Tyrion are around.”  
She loved Jaime, she did, but sometimes she wanted to strangle him for not realizing what he had and making the most of it. He never seemed to realize how valuable his time with Father was, how many lessons he could be accumulating, how many business strategies, how many ways of drafting up contracts. Even Tyrion was slightly more appreciative of the rare moments he got to spend with Father. She never got invited to sit at business meetings, never got invited up to his office to discuss deals, never got asked to help draft contracts and oversee legal matters.  
“But if you’re better than them...” he started.  
“I can be the best all I want, but my Father will never let me handle the company as long as his sons can. He’s all set on Jaime being his heir. I can try all I want but he never gives me the same opportunities to prove myself. Jaime keeps failing, again and again, and Father just keeps giving him more responsibilities and opportunities. It’s not like Jaime’s not useless, he’s not.” But he’s not as good as me, went unsaid.  
Ned frowned, his jaw set.  
“I’m not liking your father very much.”  
Cersei looked away.  
“He’s a difficult man to like.” She admitted.

She took another another sip of wine before smiling at Ned because she was not going to show him any weaknesses, damn her, this was supposed to be about getting back at Robert, at cracking his secrets, not spilling her own. She was drunk, that must be it. It had nothing to do with Ned’s pair of stunning grey eyes.

“Truth or Dare?” She asked.  
“Dare.”  
Cersei raised an eyebrow.   
“How very brave of you.” She looked around before smirking. “I dare you to go to the bartender, order the girliest drink on the menu and drink it all.”  
Ned smiled.   
“Done.”  
He got up, made his way towards the bar and spoke to he bartender in hushed tones. A few minutes later, he came back with a monstrously pink glittery drink with whipped cream and purple swirls. She snickered as he tentatively raised the glass to his lips and took a sip, the whipped cream sticking to his facial hair, giving him an additional mustache.  
He looked down at the drink, surprised, before cracking a smile and gulping down more of it.

“I think they’re going to take away your man card.” She gestured to a group of young men who were eyeing his drink with suspicion.  
“Let them.” He said between sips. “This drink is amazing. You’ve been holding out on us.”  
Cersei smirked.  
“Welcome to the dark side Ned. We have alcohol and sugar.”

Ned hid a laugh behind his fist, then wiped his whipped cream mustache off. He seemed much more relaxed than before. Nowhere near Robert or Brandon’s level, but still. The effect of drink she supposed. He was flushed, his cheeks a pleasant pink, and his stormy grey eyes hadn’t left her.  
“Truth or dare?”  
Cersei considered for a moment.  
“Truth.”  
“Who was your first kiss?”  
She closed her eyes. Images of Jaime and sunshine and stealing kisses in the dark corners of her house flashed through her mind. The way he’d looked that day, golden and perfect, just like her, the soft press of his lips against hers, his hands tangling in her hair. She had been eleven. They were hiding behind a statue in what was once a dungeon, giggling, before she’d surged up and kissed him. But she couldn’t tell him that, Stark wouldn’t understand. It made her angry.  
“Addam Marbrand. Jaime’s best friend.” She said through her teeth, flashing a smile. She probably looked ridiculous, but Ned was too drunk to notice.  
He nodded.

“Truth or dare?” She asked, downing the last of her drink.  
“Truth.”  
She fumbled for a second before deciding.  
“Who was your first kiss?” She asked him.  
He smiled goofily.  
“Ashara Dayne.”  
She felt her insides twist at the soft look on his face.  
“How old were you?”  
He blushed.  
“Seventeen.” He stammered.  
She laughed.  
“Seventeen? Dare I ask when you lost your virginity?”  
He blushed harder  
“You don’t get to ask more than one question.” He finally said, his cheeks aflame.  
She smirked, gesturing to the bartender for another drink.  
“I was twelve if that’s what you’re wondering. When I kissed Addam.”  
It was the truth this time. She had kissed Addam, just once. He was Jaime’s friend and the son of Father’s friend and he was always around. And she’d wanted to experiment, to see if it’d be as good as with Jaime. It wasn’t.

Ned finished the last of his pink drink, grinning cheekily at her.  
“Truth or dare?”  
“Dare.” She said impulsively.  
He frowned in concentration for a few moments before making up his mind.  
“I dare you to take off your heels, walk to the other end of the bar, order whatever drink you like and then come back.”  
She balked at the idea. To go barefoot at such a high class event! People would think she had no dignity. And yet...  
Her heels were uncomfortable, and he hadn’t backed down from his dare after all. A Lannister always payed their debts.  
She bent down and took off her golden heels.  
“Keep them safe for me.” She commanded.  
He grinned cheekily and nodded.

She hopped from the bar stool, her bare feet hitting the cold, marble ground.  
“Ooh! Cold!”   
He snickered.  
“Go ahead.” He gestured to the other end of the bar.  
“I’ll make you pay for this Stark see if I don’t.” She hissed.  
She made her way to the other end of the bar slowly, praying nobody would think to look down.  
Act confident and no one will notice, she told herself.  
“I’ll have a vodka soda, extra lime.”  
The bartender nodded, and went on to prepare her drink. So far so good. As long as nobody spoke to her she’d be able to get away with this and no one would notice.

“Cersei!”  
She winced. She would recognize that annoying, high-pitched voice anywhere. She turned around and forced a smile on her face.  
“Lysa. How wonderful to see you here.”  
“I’m here with Petyr.” She gestured at the man in question, chatting with creepy, bald Varys.  
“How nice.”  
“And where’s Robert? Shouldn’t he be with you?” She asked in mock innocence, smirking, and if she said one more word, Cersei was going to rip her fucking face off.  
“He’s busy dear. He is after all CEO of Storm’s End. Our boyfriends can’t all be minor accountants after all.” She smiled.  
Lysa ground her teeth so hard Cersei could practically hear them.  
“I’ll have you know Petyr is up for a very big promotion. He’s going to become the treasury at King’s Landing Corp.”  
“The company Robert recently acquired from the Targaryens. How nice. I’m sure we’ll see more of each other then.”  
Lysa Tully was so red it clashed with her hair. She would probably have retorted with something stupid and petty had Cersei’s drink not arrived.  
“Well, it was a pleasure talking to you Lysa.” She smoothly grabbed her drink from the counter and started making her way back.  
“Wait!” Lysa called back in that plaintive, high-pitched, voice of hers. “Are you not wearing shoes?”  
Cersei stilled in her tracks. Act cool, act confident, this is Lysa Tully nobody will believe her anyway.   
“If you say so dear.” She gave her another fake, polite, smile. “I really must be going now. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

Ignoring Lysa’s spluttering protests, she made her way back to a snickering Ned, slamming her glass on the counter and quickly putting her heels back on.  
“You made it back.”  
“I will kill you for this one day. You and Lysa Tully.”  
“You weren’t too hard on her were you? Lysa is...sensitive.”  
She scoffed. She’s a whiny bitch you mean.  
“I barely talked to her, relax.”  
“She’s going to be my sister soon.”  
“Poor you.”  
He scowled.  
“Cersei.”  
“Let’s get back to the game Ned.” She said sweetly, putting her hand on his.

His skin was oddly warm, and his eyes were locked on her, making her feel tingly. It’s the alcohol, that’s all. Suddenly the air between them was electric, his gaze on her was magnetic, her blood was aflame. Men looked at her like that all the time, especially when they were drunk. So why on earth was shy Ned Stark able to make her feel this way with just a glance?

“Truth or dare?” She whispered hoarsely.  
“Dare.”  
Suddenly the music changed and a slow, sexy song came on. She spotted Brandon, sliding his arms around Barbrey Dustin as Catelyn Tully watched, disapproving. Further she could spot Robert, pawing at another random woman. Suddenly she had an idea.  
“I dare you to dance with me.”  
He turned an alarming shade of crimson.  
“Now?”   
She nodded, sliding off her bar stool and dragging him by the hand out of his seat.  
“But...” he protested weakly, “Robert...”  
“He’s busy.” 

She dragged Ned to the center of the dance floor. She knew he would never have agreed to this if he’d been sober. Drunk Ned Stark was a lot more fun than she’d thought he’d be.  
She put his hands low on her hips when it became apparent he wouldn’t do so himself and starting swaying slowly.   
At first it seemed like he was desperately grasping on to his self-control, keeping her as far from him as the crowd would allow and looking at anywhere but her cleavage. It was almost sweet.  
Any semblance of propriety was gone once she ground herself on him, eliciting a delicious gasp and feeling him hard beneath her. Her arms snaked around him, intertwining their bodies so much they were barely dancing. She turned, her golden hair fanning his face as she kept grinding herself against him. His hands were on her hips, egging her on, his movements matching her own as they found a rhythm of their own. He lowered his mouth to her neck and pressed his lips there, barely a kiss, but it made her blood boil. She raised her arm and put her hand on his cheek, turning around again. Slowly, she trailed her fingers down his neck, his chest, his abdomen, until her fingers were grasping his belt, wandering dangerously low. She pressed her red lips to his cheek, a flutter nothing more, but his hand on her hip tightened and he ground against her harder.

He smelled like pine and whiskey, which would have been hilariously cliche if it wasn’t so intoxicating. He was warm and hard in all the right places. She’d never noticed how sharp his jawline was before, or how muscled he was.   
“Cersei...” he sighed in her ear.

Suddenly, the song ended. Too soon, whispered a voice in her head. She scowled and pushed those thoughts away. He looked somber, like he hadn’t been jumping her bones three seconds ago, like she hadn’t felt his hard-on as he danced with her. Does he always brood when he’s horny? She found she quite wanted to know the answer. She shelved that thought away for later as they made their way back to the bar.

“Truth or dare? He bit out angrily.  
“Truth.” She responded, equally angry. If Ned Stark thought he could get away with being such an ass after publicly grinding her he had another thing coming.  
“Do you like it? Toying with men? Breaking people apart.” He hissed.  
Oh. So that was what it was about. Robert. She scowled. He always ruined everything.  
“Don’t act so high and mighty Stark. No one made you do anything.” She spat out venomously. “You’re an adult and you made your own decisions. Same as me, same as Robert.”  
She put her hand on his.  
“You said it yourself. Robert isn’t a good boyfriend. He’s probably fucked three different women this party alone. If he thinks it isn’t a big deal, then it shouldn’t be a big deal for me should it?”  
He visibly softened, although his grey eyes were still on her.   
“I do.” She said.  
He stared at her blankly.  
“I do like it. Toying with people’s hearts, breaking people apart. It’s one of the few things I like in this life. People are so easy to manipulate, it’s almost funny.”  
He gulped down more of his drink and tried, and failed, to look stern. The effect of drink no doubt.  
“You’re horrible.” He said weakly, not looking her in the eyes.  
She smirked and leaned forward, putting her hand on his upper thigh, her thumb rubbing soothing circles. He was hard and warm, she could see it, feel it.  
“You don’t mean that.” She whispered.  
He looked away, his cheeks even pinker.  
“You’re right,” he admitted, “I don’t.”

She inched her chair closer, so close that her breath fell across Ned’s face.  
“Truth or dare?” She whispered.  
“Dare.” He croaked back.  
She leaned closer, her golden hair tickling his face. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, smelling the expensive Essosi perfume she had on.  
“Let’s get out of here.” She whispered in his ear, her hand going down to stroke his inner wrist.  
He stilled, his jaw tense, his eyes a storm of emotion.  
Finally, he opened his mouth, and whispered his answer in her ear.  
“Yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Ned x Cersei is one of my favorite crack pairings and I loved writing this. Please comment and tell me what you think of my fic and the overall pairing.


End file.
